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No. 13 Georgia looking to bounce back against Troy

By WTOP Staff

CHARLES ODUM
AP Sports Writer

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — The last year Troy lost its first three games, Herschel Walker was running toward the Heisman Trophy at Georgia.

That 1982 season is how long it has been since the Trojans faced the adversity of the winless team that will visit Georgia on Saturday. Recognizing Troy’s troubles, Georgia coach Mark Richt said he knows the Trojans are “desperate for a victory, I’m sure.”

In his next breath, Richt quickly added No. 13 Georgia (1-1) is “desperate for a victory as well” following last week’s 38-35 loss at South Carolina.

Troy athletic director John Hartwell defended longtime coach Larry Blakeney after last week’s loss to FCS opponent Abilene Christian. Similarly, this week Richt defended offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, whose play calls late in the South Carolina game drew heavy criticism.

Georgia tailback Todd Gurley is another Heisman candidate, but the powerful junior didn’t get the call when Georgia had a first down at the South Carolina 4 with 5:24 remaining. Quarterback Hutson Mason’s 10-yard intentional grounding penalty helped set up Marshall Morgan’s missed attempt on a 28-yard field goal.

Georgia offensive tackle Kolton Houston said the loss to South Carolina left Georgia behind in the Southeastern Conference’s Eastern Division.

“It’s a long road ahead of us,” Houston said. “We just need to win every single week. It’s like a ladder. We can’t look ahead and try to look at the playoffs. We can’t look at the Eastern race. The only thing we can do is just, week-by-week, win that week. And that’s what we’re going to try to do.”

Blakeney called the loss to Abilene Christian “an awfully bad dream that came true.”

“Hopefully we will find a way to stay together and work hard,” Blakeney said.

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Some things to know about Troy’s first game against Georgia since the Bulldogs’ 44-34 win in 2007:

QB WATCH: Troy could be without starting quarterback Brandon Silvers, who left last week’s game with a concussion. Dontreal Pruitt is the Trojans’ backup. Pruitt completed 9 of 17 passes for 99 yards while playing behind Silvers last week. Silvers, a redshirt freshman, is replacing four-year starter Corey Robinson. Troy quarterbacks have thrown 150 consecutive passes without an interception.

MASONRY TRAINING: It’s no surprise Georgia has been more successful running the ball thus far as Hutson Mason adjusts to his first full season as the starting quarterback. Mason has only two TD passes through two games, but it’s not as if he has struggled. He has not thrown an interception and has completed 70.8 percent of his passes (34 of 48).

STILL RECOVERING: Richt said receivers Justin Scott-Wesley (ankle) and Malcolm Mitchell (knee) are “very doubtful” to play this week. Scott-Wesley has been serving a suspension for a marijuana arrest while also recovering from the injury, and Richt hasn’t disclosed the length of the suspension.

BLAKENEY’S CHALLENGE: Blakeney, who turns 67 on Sunday, is in his 24th season at Troy and has directed the program’s rise from Division II status all the way to FBS. The Trojans are 14-25 since 2010, when their string of winning or sharing five straight Sun Belt titles ended. Asked this week about the mentality of his players, Blakeney addressed the widespread discontent with the program’s struggles. “I know that they are hurting, because I know that I’m hurting,” he said. “Everybody on our staff is hurting. Everyone associated with our athletics department is hurting. Everybody that is a Trojan is hurting. So, I know that our team is hurting.”

THUMBS UP: Gurley will be looking for his third straight 100-yard game, but the Bulldogs may be without their second-leading rusher. Freshman Nick Chubb had surgery on Monday to repair his fractured left thumb. Richt left open the possibility Chubb could play with a cast on his hand. Georgia has good depth. Another freshman, Sony Michel, and Keith Marshall are available behind Gurley.

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Follow Charles Odum on Twitter: http://twitter.com/CharlesOdum

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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